Oral factor Xa inhibitor underutilization following lower extremity peripheral vascular intervention

Objective Patients undergoing peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) (ie, endovascular revascularization) for symptomatic lower extremity peripheral artery disease remain at high risk for major adverse limb and cardiovascular events. High-quality evidence demonstrates the addition of a low-dose oral factor Xa inhibitor to single antiplatelet therapy, termed dual pathway inhibition (DPI), reduces the incidence of major adverse events in this population. This study aims to describe the longitudinal trends in factor Xa inhibitor initiation after PVI, identify patient and procedural characteristics associated with factor Xa inhibitor use, and describe temporal trends in antithrombic therapy post-PVI before vs after VOYAGER PAD. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Vascular Quality Initiative PVI registry from January 2018 through June 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to determine predictors of factor Xa inhibitor initiation following PVI, reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 91,569 PVI procedures were deemed potentially eligible for factor Xa inhibitor initiation and were included in this analysis. Overall rates of factor Xa inhibitor initiation after PVI increased from 3.5% in 2018 to 9.1% in 2022 (P < .0001). The strongest positive predictors of factor Xa inhibitor initiation after PVI were non-elective (OR, 4.36; 95% CI, 4.06-4.68; P < .0001) or emergent (OR, 8.20; 95% CI, 7.14-9.41; P < .0001) status. The strongest negative predictor was postoperative dual antiplatelet therapy prescription (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.17-0.23; P < .0001), highlighting significant hesitation about use of DPI after PVI and limited translation of VOYAGER PAD findings into clinical practice. Antiplatelet medications remain the most common antithrombotic regimen after PVI, with almost 70% of subjects discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy and approximately 20% discharged on single antiplatelet therapy. Conclusions Factor Xa inhibitor initiation after PVI has increased in recent years, although the absolute rate remains low, and most eligible patients are not prescribed this treatment.